Abstract

To the editor: Ritter claims to have described the first reported patient with ventricular tachycardia refractory to modern pharmaceutical and electrical conversion methods (Ann Intern Med 71:1155, 1969). Such patients have been previously reported in the literature (1-3). Salokannel, Waris, and Kreus (1) described the occurrence of innumerable episodes of ventricular tachycardia refractory to drug therapy in a 56-year-old man over a 2-year period, necessitating electrical defibrillation 47 times. Pickers, Goldberg, and Watson (2) reported the use of paired pacing of the heart as lifesaving in the management of recurrent ventricular tachycardia refractory to other modes of medical management in